Thirteen
by Vereesa
Summary: Thirteen things. Lightning/Aerith crack.


**A/N** This kind of drawls on, I guess, it's kind of lame but my friend asked for it so I guess I'd better deliver, right? He wanted an Aerith/Lightning fic, and I thought putting it in the Kingdom Hearts-verse would be easiest. (Seeing as I haven't yet played DD) But anyway, I'm not too thrilled with it, but perhaps someone out there will like this.

**I Ghost**

The moment you met with those electric blue eyes, you _knew_ you'd seen her somewhere. You couldn't figure out how, you were both from different worlds. Your breath catches, a ghost tightens it's grip on your heart.

II Stay

She was reluctant to join your troop at first, she preferred working alone, you remember her stating flatly.

"Don't you have something you want to protect?" You ask, as sweetly as you can because you don't want this beautiful stranger to leave, not until you find out why she's so familiar to you.

Her steps falter, and you catch sight of her slightly hidden face paling, but this discoloring is only momentary before she snaps at you, "I have _nothing_."

But she stays, and you _know_ she has something.

Familiar.

III Information

She disappears for days to find "information on the enemy", and you wonder if it's possible to take a heartless hostage and bargain it's life.

You realize she's so much like _him_, except you _kno_wshe's going to come back. She's warmed up to you, and the silence in her presence is no longer awkward.

This time, however, she comes back with a new key blade bearer, and Tifa drags her off to celebrate.

Lonely.

IV Interrogation

"What do you do, back home?" You ask, though the answer is evident in her attire and she looks at you with that expression that says just the same.

"Soldier." Simple, one word answers for simple questions, you realize that's how she likes it. Such a strange woman.

"Do you have family?"

"..." Her face darkens slightly, and you wonder if you've done something wrong. Maybe she's an orphan, and you've touched on something sensitive. "No." She finally says, and her eyes are clouded in confusion, "well I do, but..." She shrugs it off, and doesn't finish, returning to polishing her sword and you know you're not going to get much else out of her.

V Temper

She and Squall are so much alike that they don't get along, you note, their disputes grow heated until someone draws their gunblade and you have to jump in and separate them. Tifa takes Squall, you worry about the pinknette. She's warmed up to you, and is wary about the fighter either way.

You've never seen Squall lose his temper, and you're certain Tifa would be better dealing with him than you are.

She stands in the corner, a tall brooding figure.

There's something tantalizing in her eyes.

VI Adventure

"Come on," She says, there's a playful tone in her voice despite the usual look on her face, and Tifa stares at the two of you as you chat.

"I don't know.." You mutter, though the prospect of being able to run around the town is a little too intriguing for your own sake. She _knows_ you want to go out, being in the same house all day has been driving you mad. Besides, it's day time and the Heartless hordes are few at this time.

Despite your protests, you find yourself wandering around with the soldier, and you _know_ Tifa is going to interrogate you when you come back.

VII Return

Cloud has come back, though you catch him as he's leaving and you don't get a chance to mutter a word of greeting. He's come to see Tifa about something, you know. She's the only one he talks to these days, too occupied with getting revenge on Sephiroth.

You unconsciously grab hold of Lightning's hand, catching the other woman by surprise, she doesn't say anything and you like it that way.

VIII Memories

"Where are you going?" You ask, you've been alone with the mysterious woman all day, Squall and Tifa left to ask something of Cid.

She grips the necklace around her neck and mutters something incoherent, before she shakes her head and looks at you, eyes clouded with something that tells you she's thinking about that person from her home. She's been doing that a lot lately, and strangely enough, you feel just a bit left out. There is nothing you can say, as she shakes her head again and leaves the house.

She's gone for six days.

IX Heart

You realize that ghost's grip on your heart has melted away and you feel lost. There's nothing to guide you, and you don't know _who_ you want, because they're both just the same. The only difference is, she's a woman. You stumble on her grounds of training, and your breath catches as you watch her, blade dancing in the sunlight as she duels an imaginary enemy.

You wonder how if it's possible for a goddess to take form as a human, that would be the only thing that could explain such unworldly beauty.

She stops, and you remember to breathe again, but that stops once more when she looks in your direction and you _know_ you've been found out.

Your heart thunders in your chest.

X Glance

She catches you staring at her on more than one occasion, and there's a ghost of smile on her face each time. You feel embarrassed when she finally calls you out on it.

"I-It's nothing..." You mutter, your cheeks burning.

"It must be something," She presses, arms crossed, she leans forward slightly, "is there something on my face?"

You jump back at her proximity, shaking your head furiously. She gives you a throaty chuckle before gently pecking your lips and leaving.

You wonder if this means it's okay for you to stare.

XI War

The battle is ceaseless, the heartless armies are growing stronger in number and you begin to worry. That worry increases, double fold when you see her fall, wounded.

You rush to her side, casting the strongest healing spell you can think of to get her back on her feet, but duty calls once again and you don't get a chance to check her closely as you rush to heal Tifa.

All you can do is pray that the Key Bearer can end this before you are all overwhelmed.

XII Celebration

"Give me a break..." She mutters, her breath tickling your lips and you giggle slightly. It's been a while since you've been so drunk with happiness, you kiss her for what seems like the thousandth time, leaning on your toes and attempting not to injure her broken arm. Despite her slight irritation, she accepts your kiss, deepening it, and she doesn't let you go until your lungs are burning.

You sigh, and you lean your head on her chest and listen to her heart thunder. You're glad you have that effect on her, you're glad your heart isn't the only one running rampant.

XIII Gone

You sigh sleepily as you wake up in an empty bed, you wonder where she's gotten to.

You move the sheets and realize her side is undisturbed, as though whatever happened earlier that night _hadn't _happened at all.

You ask the others where she's gone, and they look at you quizzically. "Who are you talking about?" Tifa asks, a slight chuckle playing into her words, "I'm assuming your dream was a bit _too_ real if you're so convinced someone else was here."

You bite back the tears, because you _know_ she was here, it was way too real for her not to be. You look outside, and find the world is calm and people are walking around without danger of being attacked.

You wonder if she's returned to her world.

You wonder if she still remembers _you._

She's left.

She doesn't come back.


End file.
